Software Engineering Degree in Arlington, TX — Salary & ROI 2026
Software Engineering degree analysis for Arlington, TX. COL-adjusted salary data, local tuition costs, ROI calculator, and job market outlook.
Starting Salary
$82K
COL-adjusted
Mid-Career
$120K
COL-adjusted
ROI Payback
2.1 yrs
in Arlington
Cost of Living
93.5
index (100 = avg)
Software Engineering in Arlington, TX Overview
Arlington, Texas (pop. 394,266) has 14 colleges offering Software Engineering programs. The local cost of living index of 93.5 is near the national average, with average rent near campus at $795/month. Software Engineering has seen growing enrollment nationally, reflecting rising employer demand for Software Design and Testing skills. The adjusted starting salary in Arlington is approximately $82,280.
Category
STEM
Local Colleges
14
Public Tuition
$10,900/yr
Private Tuition
$36,000/yr
Room & Board
$14,627/yr
Avg Fin. Aid
$14,822/yr
Unemployment
3.3%
Graduation Rate
51%
Software Engineering Salary in Arlington (COL-Adjusted)
Salaries adjusted for Arlington's cost of living index of 93.5 (national average = 100).
Note: National average Software Engineering salary: $88,000 starting, $128,000 mid-career, $160,000 senior level.Arlington adjustment factor: 0.94x based on the local cost of living index.
Software Engineering ROI Calculator for Arlington
Estimate your return on investment for a Software Engineering degree using local Arlington tuition and cost of living data.
Public avg: $10,900 | Private avg: $36,000
Arlington avg aid: $14,822/yr
Federal avg: 6.5% | Private: 4-14%
Total Education Cost
$102,108
tuition + room & board - aid
Annual Earnings Premium
$49,555
vs HS diploma in Arlington
ROI Payback Period
2.1 years
to break even
Lifetime Return in Arlington
$1,001,192
Lifetime earnings premium ($1,103,300) minus total education cost ($102,108)
Student Loan Payoff for Software Engineering in Arlington
Standard Plan (10 years)
Aggressive Plan (5 years)
Colleges in Arlington for Software Engineering
Arlington State University
public
$11,254/yr
$45,016 total
University of Arlington
public
$12,320/yr
$49,280 total
Community Colleges (2-Year Transfer)
Arlington Community College
$5,331/yr
Texas Technical College - Arlington
$5,252/yr
Top Employers for Software Engineering in Arlington
Arlington offers opportunities in Tech companies, Research labs, Government agencies for Software Engineering graduates. National top employers in this field include:
Key Arlington Hiring Sectors for STEM
Tech companies
Research labs
Government agencies
Startups
Consulting firms
Common Software Engineering Job Titles
Software Engineering in Nearby Texas Cities
Houston, TX
$101K starting · COL 115
90 colleges
San Antonio, TX
$106K starting · COL 120
58 colleges
Dallas, TX
$92K starting · COL 104
82 colleges
Austin, TX
$94K starting · COL 107
30 colleges
Fort Worth, TX
$89K starting · COL 101
19 colleges
El Paso, TX
$82K starting · COL 93
38 colleges
Corpus Christi, TX
$72K starting · COL 82
22 colleges
Plano, TX
$75K starting · COL 85
9 colleges
Other STEM Majors in Arlington
Prompt Engineering
$47K starting · 1.5 yr ROI
Computational Linguistics
$89K starting · 2 yr ROI
Computer Science
$79K starting · 2.8 yr ROI
Data Science
$77K starting · 3 yr ROI
Actuarial Science
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Cybersecurity
$75K starting · 3 yr ROI
Robotics Engineering
$47K starting · 3 yr ROI
Applied Mathematics
$47K starting · 3.5 yr ROI
Software Engineering Degree in Arlington — FAQ
Data Sources: Salary data from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Cost of living from BLS Regional Data. College data from NCES/IPEDS. Updated March 2026.
Explore More
Compare Software Engineering ROI in other cities, or explore other majors in Arlington.